Running group classes: how MatchMyTrainer can help

Good class booking software helps clients find a session, understand what it costs and reserve a place. For you, it brings the timetable, available spaces and booking list together so you can prepare for the class.

MatchMyTrainer supports group classes alongside one-to-one and online sessions. You can set a participant limit, publish recurring times and offer class packs or subscriptions with a fixed number of sessions. Here's how those pieces fit together.

Start with the information clients need

Before choosing a tool, think about the questions people ask before their first class. Who is it suitable for? Where should they go? Is equipment provided? Does the price include entry to the gym or studio? Clear answers help people choose the right session.

Then consider your own routine: checking who has booked, keeping the timetable accurate, handling cancellations and knowing which clients have sessions left in a pack. A useful booking system should make those jobs easier to follow.

How MatchMyTrainer works as gym class booking software

MatchMyTrainer isn't just for 1-to-1 personal training. The same system that handles individual PT sessions also supports class services with a capacity of up to 100 participants. Choose a limit appropriate to your space, equipment and supervision.

Create a service for each class type

Each class you run becomes a service on your profile. A boxing conditioning class is one service. A yoga flow class is another. A beginner bootcamp is a third.

For each service, you set:

• The class name and a description of what to expect
• The price per session
• The duration
• The maximum number of participants, which controls capacity. If you set it to 12, clients cannot book another place once that slot's capacity is reached. Keep your online availability consistent with any places you arrange elsewhere.

Set recurring schedules

Once your class services exist, you link them to a venue and set a recurring schedule. “Boxing Conditioning, every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30pm, at The Mill Gym, max 15 people.” That schedule repeats automatically. You set it once and clients can book weeks in advance.

Allow for holidays and other commitments when setting availability. If clients have already booked a class you cannot run, manage those bookings and check the cancellation outcome; changing availability alone is not a substitute for cancelling existing bookings.

Clients choose a place online

Clients open your profile, choose a class and select an available time. For a new paid booking, auto-approval takes payment during checkout. If the session needs your approval, the card payment is authorised first and captured when you approve. Clients using an eligible pack redeem a session instead of paying for that booking again.

Your calendar groups bookings for the same class, with an attendee list and access to booking details. Check booking statuses when preparing. A booking list tells you who has reserved a place; it cannot guarantee everyone will attend.

Subscriptions and packages for regular attendees

Some clients prefer paying for a block of sessions. Others want a regular weekly or monthly allowance. Explain which classes they can book, when sessions expire and what happens if they cancel. Buying sessions does not reserve a place in every class automatically.

Subscriptions with a fixed session allowance

A subscription renews weekly or monthly and provides a fresh allowance of sessions. For example, you could offer eight class sessions per month for £60. That is an illustrative offer, not a suggested market price. MMT subscriptions have a set session count, rather than unlimited attendance.

Clients still need to book available places in eligible classes. Unused subscription sessions do not roll into the next billing period. Make sure the timetable gives clients a realistic opportunity to use their allowance before they subscribe.

Packages: class packs for flexibility

Not everyone wants a monthly commitment. A 10-class pack at a discounted rate gives casual attendees a reason to commit without locking them into a subscription. They buy the pack, use it when they want, and the platform tracks how many classes they've got left.

For more detail on pricing packs, see our guide on session packs for personal trainers.

The gym and studio signup option

When you sign up for MatchMyTrainer as a trainer, there's an option to indicate that you're a gym or studio. This lets you set up a profile that represents your business rather than an individual trainer. You can list all your classes, set capacity for each one, and manage bookings from one dashboard.

Who this works for

The class booking system works for any fitness business running group sessions with a fixed capacity:

• Boxing gyms running conditioning classes, pad work sessions, and sparring nights
• Yoga studios offering scheduled classes with a fixed participant limit
• CrossFit boxes managing WOD sessions with strict capacity limits
• Pilates studios where reformer availability means class sizes are non-negotiable
• Martial arts dojos running beginners, intermediates, and open mat sessions
• Bootcamp operators who train outdoors or in hired spaces and need to know numbers in advance
• Dance and fitness studios offering spin, HIIT, barre, or anything else with limited spots

Check the fit if your business needs multiple staff logins, shared equipment allocation or other studio-specific controls. A gym or studio profile is not itself a promise of those features. MMT's class tools cover services, schedules, capacity and booking lists.

What you get vs the WhatsApp approach

Here's the practical difference:

• Before:“Can everyone who's coming Saturday reply to this message?” Then counting replies, chasing payments, and hoping your count is right.
• With online booking: Clients choose available places, and you review their bookings together. Payment or session redemption follows the booking flow, while cancellations are handled according to the service settings and booking circumstances.

There is no monthly software fee. For one-off bookings and packages, MMT charges 10% on the first £3,000 of monthly transaction value and 8% on the portion above it. Subscription payments use a separate fee calculation. Check processing and client-fee details on the pricing page.

Getting started

Work through these steps before sharing your link:

1. Sign up and select the gym or studio option
2. Add your venue (your gym, studio, or training space)
3. Create a service for each class type, setting the price and max participants
4. Set your recurring weekly schedule
5. Complete Stripe payment setup; bank payouts follow separately from client payments

Once you're live, share your booking page link on your website, social media, and in your existing WhatsApp groups. Clients can book themselves in without messaging you first.

For a detailed walkthrough of the venue, service, and schedule system, see how MatchMyTrainer works.